Shipping-hamper for laundries.



PATENTED. SEPT. 12, 1905.

'T. L. METGALFB.

SHIPPING HAMPER FOR LAUNDRIES.

on mu: 4.

No. 799.483. PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

1'. L. METGALFB.

SHIPPING HAMPER FOR LAUNDRIES. APPLIOATION FILED mun 9,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHlPPlNG-HAMPER FOR LAUNDRIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905,

Application filed June 9, 1904. Serial No. 211,821.

To ztZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatI, THoMAs LEE METOALFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopkinsville, in the county of Christian and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Shipping-Hamper for Laundries, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in shipping-hampers for laundries.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of clothes-hampers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes-hamper constructed in accordance with this invention and shown open. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view. Fig.

at is a perspectiveview, the cover being closed. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the cover and the fixed section of the top.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawmgs.

1 designates the body of the clothes basket or hamper, consisting of a truncated barrel, which is cut off at a point between the center and the top to provide a receptacle of the de-.

sired capacity, and the said body is reinforced at its upper edge'by inner and outer hoops 2 and-3 and by a metal rim at. The metal rim 4 is arranged within the body on the inner face of the inner hoop and is secured to the same by fastening devices 5, which extend to the inner and outer hoops from the metal rim to the exterior of the barrel. The body is also reinforced by an interior hoop 6, arranged at a point between the top and bottom;

but this interior hoop may be omitted, if desired. The body is mounted upon runnprs 7 consisting of parallel wooden cleats or bars extending across the bottom 8 of the body, equidistant of the center thereof, and provided with terminal recesses 9, which receive the chime at the bottom of the body and which have inclined inner walls to conform to the configuration of the same, whereby when the bars or runners are in position they will be interlocked with the chime. Also by locating the runner at opposite sides of the center of the bottom of the barrel they may be readily engaged with the chime to interlock them therewith, and they fit against the inner face of the chime at opposite sides of the barrel and may be tightly wedged against the same by moving them laterally from the center of the barrel. The runners are of a width greater than the width of the chime, and they extend outwardly or downwardly beyond the same, and the bottoms of the recesses 9 fit against the lower edges of the chime, whereby the bottom of the body will be relieved of strain and will be supported or braced by the runners. Also the runners will efiectually prevent the bottom from being forced out of the body. The runners enable the clothes-hamper to be readily drawn over the supporting surface, and they strengthen and reinforce the body at the bottom and greatly increase the durability of the hamper. The runners are secured to the bottom of the body by screws 10 or other suitable fastening devices, and they are connected at their terminals with the exterior of the body by substantially L-shaped straps or pieces 11, constructed of suitable metal and secured to the lower faces of the runners and to the exterior of the body. The runners are recessed at their lower edges to receive the lower portions of the metal straps or pieces 11, and the upwardly-extending portions of the same are preferably fastened to the body at the outer bottom hoop 12; but they may be extended beyond the same, if desired.

The hamper is provided with a cover 13, connected by hinges 14 to a fixed top section 15.

The hamper is provided at opposite sides with handles 23, preferably constructed of rope, the terminals of the rope being passed through apertures of the body and knotted or otherwise provided with stops for engaging the interior of the same.

The clothes-hamper, which is light, strong, and durable, is especially adapted for use by laundries for shipping clothes, and it may be thrown out of a wagon or express-car without damaging it. 'When it is thrown out of a car or wagon, it will strike upon the side and not upon the edge, and the resiliency of the barrel structure will enable it to stand such usage. They may be conveniently nested before the tops are applied to the bodies, and the said tops can be easily crated. When the tops are applied and the hampers are in position for shipping laundry, they will be readily stacked one upon another.

The edges of the hamper may be reinforced by metal strips, if desired, and the hampers may be employed for shipping various kinds of goods and merchandise.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A receptacle of the class described, consisting of a barrel provided at the bottom with an inwardly-inclined chime, and runners fitted against the bottom of the barrel and having terminal chime-receiving recesses forming at their inner walls projecting portions which wardly and outwardly inclined inner walls 35 which are wedged within the chime at opposite sides of the barrel, whereby the runners are interlocked with the barrel, and metal straps having upright and horizontal portions secured respectively to the exterior of the bar- 4 rel and to the bottom of the runners at the ends thereof for retaining the said runners in their interlocked relation with the chime.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereto affixed my signature in .5

the presence of two witnesses.

THOS. LEE METCALFE. Vvitnesses;

W. S. WADE, W. H. TYKE, Jr 

